1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a liquid crystal display, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for fabricating a liquid crystal display that is capable of shortening a liquid crystal exhaust time in a liquid crystal injection and sealing process to improve the productivity of the liquid crystal display.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel is completed by carrying out various processes such as a process of fabricating the upper plate and the lower plate of the panel accompanying a formation process of a liquid crystal cell, a formation and rubbing process of an orientation film for orientating the liquid crystal, a process of assembling the upper plate to the lower plate, and a process of injecting and sealing the liquid crystal between the assembled upper plate and lower plate. The process of fabricating the lower plate includes a formation step of a thin film transistor (TFT) part and a formation step of other electrode part according to a process of coating and etching an electrode material, a semiconductor layer and an insulating film on a substrate. The process of assembling the upper plate to the lower plate includes a forming of a sealant such as an ultraviolet (UV) hardening agent, etc. and hardening by irradiating an ultraviolet ray. The liquid crystal injection and sealing process is finally performed after the upper plate was assembled to the lower plate.
FIG. 1A to FIG. 1C show a general liquid crystal display and sealing process step by step. Referring to FIG. 1A, there are provided an upper plate 10 and a lower plate 12 of a liquid crystal display panel assembled, in parallel, to each other with having a seal part 14. A liquid crystal injection hole 16 is provided at one side end between the assembled upper plate 10 and lower plate 12 to inject a liquid crystal through the liquid crystal injection hole 16. When a liquid crystal has been injected into the panel, the surfaces of the upper plate 10 and the lower plate 12 become convex by a pressure of a liquid crystal 20 as shown in FIG. 1B. This process is referred to as xe2x80x9cpressurized sealingxe2x80x9d. In FIG. 1B, a portion of the injected liquid crystal 20 is exhausted by pressurizing the convex surfaces of the upper plate 10 and the lower plate 12 at the exterior thereof to even the upper plate 10 and the lower plate 12 again. At this time, the liquid crystal 20 is exhausted, via the liquid crystal injection hole 16 into the exterior, and the liquid crystal 20 existing in the inside of the liquid crystal panel is evenly distributed all over the entire area of the panel. Next, in a process shown in FIG. 1C a liquid crystal injection hole 16 is sealed by means of a sealant 18 such as a UV hardening agent, etc. to complete the liquid crystal display panel.
A pressurized sealing of the upper plate 10 and the lower plate 12 shown in FIG. 1B is performed by a pressurizing apparatus as shown FIG. 2. Referring to FIG. 2, a conventional pressurizing apparatus for pressurizing the upper plate 10 and the lower plate 12 after an injection of the liquid crystal 20 in an apparatus of fabricating the liquid crystal display panel includes pressurizing jigs 30 arranged in parallel to be opposed to the upper plate 10 and the lower plate 12 of the liquid crystal display panel, fixing parts 32 attached to the surfaces of the pressurizing jigs 30 opposed to the upper plate 10 and to the lower plate 12 of the liquid crystal display panel to fix the upper plate 10 and the lower plate 12 of the liquid crystal display panel. The liquid crystal display panel, into which the liquid crystal 20 is injected, is arranged between the left and right pressurized jigs 30 and fixed by the fixing parts 32. For instance, in the pressurizing process, an air is exhausted into the surfaces of the upper plate 10 and the lower plate 12 at a high pressure through an air outlet (not shown) provided at the surfaces of the pressurizing jigs 30 opposed to the upper plate 10 and the lower plate 12 of the liquid crystal panel to pressurize the liquid crystal display panel by the high-pressure air. An air input tube 34 for inputting an air from the exterior is provided at one side of each pressurizing jig 30, and an internal tube (not shown) as a path of the inflow air is connected between the air input tube 34 and the air outlet within each pressuring jig 30. The fixing parts 32 are made from a rubber material and play a role to fix the upper plate 10 and the lower plate 12 of the liquid crystal display panel gently for the purpose of preventing the upper plate 10 and the lower plate 12 from being damaged and to provide seal spaces between the upper and lower plates 10 and 12 of the liquid crystal display panel and the pressurizing jigs 30 for the purpose of preventing a high-pressure air from being leaked into the exterior thereof upon pressurizing operation.
In the conventional fabricating method of pressuring the upper plate 10 and the lower plate 12 of the liquid crystal display panel injected with the liquid crystal 20 using the pressurizing apparatus as mentioned above, a work for exhausting the liquid crystal 20 into the exterior by the pressurization requires a considerable time. Particularly, in the case of using a vertical alignment liquid crystal or a high-viscosity liquid crystal, a liquid crystal exhaust time according to the pressurization becomes very long because of a viscosity of the liquid crystal 20. Such a time consumption in the liquid crystal exhaust work results in a factor deteriorating the productivity of the liquid crystal display panel.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method of fabricating a liquid crystal display that is capable of shortening a liquid crystal exhaust time in a liquid crystal injection and sealing process to improve the productivity of the liquid crystal display.
In order to achieve these and other objects of the invention, a liquid crystal display fabricating apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes heating means for heating an air pressurizing the upper plate and the lower plate of the liquid crystal display panel.
A pressurizing apparatus for exhausting a liquid crystal of a liquid crystal display device includes: jigs arranged in parallel to a first and second substrates of the liquid crystal display device, the liquid crystal display device being injected the liquid crystal; fixing parts attached to the jigs; air outlets provided on the jigs; air input tubes provided on one sides of the jigs, the air input tubes being applied a heated air from an exterior; and interior tubes connected between the air input tubes and the air outlets, the heated air being heated the surfaces of the first and second substrates from the interior tubes.
A pressurizing apparatus for exhausting a liquid crystal of a liquid crystal display device includes: jigs arranged in parallel to a first and second substrates of the liquid crystal display device, the liquid crystal display device being injected the liquid crystal; fixing parts attached to the jigs; air outlets provided on the jigs; air input tubes provided on one sides of the jigs; interior tubes connected between the air input tubes and the air outlets; and heater for heating an air from the air outlets.
A method of fabricating a liquid crystal display according to another aspect of the present invention includes the step of heating an air pressurizing the upper plate and the lower plate of the liquid crystal display panel.
A method of for exhausting a liquid crystal of a liquid crystal display device includes the steps of: injecting the liquid crystal between first and second substrates; providing a pressurizing apparatus on the first and second substrates, the pressurizing apparatus being included jigs, air outlets, air input tubes and interior tubes; pressurizing the first and second substrates by ejecting a high pressure air from the air outlets; heating the first and second substrates by a heated air from the air outlets; and exhausting the liquid crystal from the liquid crystal display device.